Bishop's Monday Message: My Story of White Privilege

White privilege. Did you just brace yourself, if you look like me? It’s a term that’s been around at least since the late 1980s, but we have heard and learned more about it recently. Many of us benefit from white privilege. Yet I would imagine there are some of you who have wrestled with the term as I have. What do you mean by “privilege,” you might ask. You might have had an upbringing like the one I did (or more difficult) so that you rankle a bit at the use of “privilege” in your own story.

ReTurn Team Plan Feedback and Clarifications

The ReTurn Team is grateful for the support and feedback received in response to the May 15 guidelines offered for churches to consider as businesses and institutions around us have begun to reopen. We recognize that the Health Teams or Leadership Teams tasked with guiding your work in your local context are feeling an increasing amount of pressure to move toward a return to “normal” in-person activities. As our state has moved into Stage 3 and soon will likely move to Stage 4, we wish to offer additional clarification and guidance that may help you moving forward.

Bishop's Monday Message: Trouble can produce endurance

Once I told my congregation that I wanted to tattoo this verse on the inside of my eyelids: “…we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Yeah, they thought it was a little weird, too, to imagine tattooing something on the inside of your eyelids. But it’s a message that guides us through our times of trouble to a place of hope.

North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops Commitment to Anti-Racism

The killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25 has rocked our nation and world and pierced us to the core. The video image seared into our minds, hearts and souls is horrific, terrifying, disgusting and outrageous. While we’ve each made commitments and statements in our respective areas along with many of our cabinet members, we think it important to speak together as the North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops. We affirm the work being done in each of our conferences, the work of the Council of Bishops, the work of our General Agencies, and the work of our ecumenical and interfaith partners in responding to this heartbreaking, soul-shattering event.

Raising Our Voices – UVC Annual Awards Ceremony

United Voices for Children (UVC) has announced the recipients of its 2020 annual awards for outstanding advocacy and service for children and youth throughout Northern Illinois.

Children still count!

The COVID-19 pandemic has made a significant impact on the operational guidelines used by the U.S. Census Bureau. Changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the counting process to protect the health and safety of the American public and Census Bureau employees, has a tremendous negative impact on already under represented and underserved groups. However through intentional education and mobilization, faith communities can make a significant positive difference in Census return rates.

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